Deeper Than What Meets the Eye
by TheShadowEclipse
Summary: When Halloween rolls around, the Winchesters know they can expect a myriad of strange occurrences. They just have to be there to stop the metaphysical ones. This time however, they're unwittingly wrapped up in an eccentric duo's annual game of pranks to scare each other. But what no one's noticed is that there's yet another player in the game, a vengeful one.
1. Chapter 1

_**Welp, what difference does another chapter story on my existing list to update make? I chip at all of them offline anyway. I don't think this one will stretch on for too long, at least.**_

 _ **Already had this written from sometime in the spring too. With some revisions, I thought I might as well post it for this October 31st.**_

 _ **Happy Halloween everyone!**_

* * *

 **xxx**

 _"You're not afraid of the dark, are you?"_ The familiar voice lulled softly by his ear, each word accented with a fine edge of sweetness.

Alfred whirled around in the pitch black, searching for the source of the sound. He strained, but there was nothing he could see - not even his own hands out in front of him. He couldn't even be sure he was stepping on ground, he couldn't hear the sound of his own frantic footsteps.

He blinked rapidly, as if it was simply a problem with his eyes, like they had simply failed to work when he opened them. As if his glasses had clouded to a murky black and he needed to squint to make out the world through them. He was frustratingly blind in this nothingness.

He reached to his face, but he couldn't find his glasses. In fact, he wasn't sure he was even touching his face.

A painful streak of panic shot through him, and at least the only thing that told him he was actually there was the loud beating of his heart.

There was a laugh, a haunting sound that tugged at the strings of his memory.

"No, of course not. You can't be _scared,_ " the voice continued. There was something new in the tone. "You're a big boy now."

The darkness was suffocating and he found himself running out of breath. His panic escalated when he had a sense of falling through churning depths.

xxx

Alfred woke up in his bed with a scream. Elsewhere in the room, someone yelped. The sound of something shattering immediately brought him to reality.

He sat up quickly, disoriented and blinking rapidly. An anxious feeling was settled into the pit of his stomach, but he welcomed the light that flooded his vision. The darkness was gone, and his room was a hazy brightness from the sunlight streaming through a shiny window.

His glasses were on the end table beside his bed, and once they were settled securely on his nose, an immense relief washed over him. The clarity of his new vision reassured him it had simply been a dream.

He spied the other person in his room. After some confusion, the decorations in his room reminded him of the date, and his temperature rose in fury.

 _"How could you!"_ he shouted. The man at the other end of the room, who had half tripped over a chair by the table at the fright, turned a pair of surprised green eyes on him.

"It's barely Halloween! What the hell, man! You've already started scaring me! What the hell!"

 _"What!"_ The other squawked indignantly. "What are you talking about!? It's you I should be saying that too! Screaming suddenly from your bed like that! What were you thinking!"

"Shut up!" Alfred shook his head, remembering the voice in the nightmare. He recognized it all too well, he realized. He pointed an accusing finger at the Brit. "I can't believe you would do that to me while I was sleeping! I was completely unprepared! It doesn't count at all! It doesn't count! I hate you, you suck! You know I hate those type of things!"

An expression of confused hurt settled on Arthur's features, but Alfred was too mad to care. "Wake up properly before you start yelling at _me_!" he protested. "You're still asleep! I have no idea what you're talking about, you ridiculous child!"

"What are you doing in my room anyway!"

"I came to wake you! Or - ahh, that is to say- I was _going_ to wake-"

"Out! Out!" Alfred shouted, making a shooing motion. "Get out of my room! Get out now!"

Arthur hurried to take his leave. It was rare to see Alfred so worked up, after all. He stopped at the door. "Careful with the glass, I dropped something when _you_ decided to imitate a hellbound banshee!" He pointed by a small bureau in the back of the room before closing the door behind him.

Alfred's hands let out a frustrated breath. He cursed angrily, what a way to start the day! He threw off the covers and swung his legs over the side, feeling the cold wooden floor below his feet. He dressed quickly, muttering irately under his breath.

While he normally did enjoy Halloweens with Arthur, there were lines that should not be crossed! Wasn't it common decency to refrain from violating the privacy and sanctity of people's dreaming! The nerve of that guy! He'd been helpless!

 _Wait, wait, wait a second!_ He took a deep breath in the middle of pulling a shirt over his head. _Whaat?_

Why was he blaming someone for deliberately causing him a nightmare? That was.. impossible?

Athough he had an overwhelming assertion it had been him, reason told him he was being silly. Impossibilities aside however, (although he often refused to even admit it) he had been forced to come to terms with the fact that the man had really done some things on past Halloweens that Alfred simply couldn't find a way to explain.

His hand was reaching for the doorknob when he was ready to go downstairs, still debating on whether or not to make the morning difficult for Arthur anyway, when he noticed something glinting to his right. Little bits of glass on the floor, bright from the sunlight.

Consumed curiosity, he stomped over to his table and picked up the object on the floor Arthur must have been looking at. It was a large photo frame.

The rest of his irritation instantly deflated.

It was one of the older black and white ones on his table, probably from a good seventy years back. He didn't usually keep old ones like this in view, it was his preference to avoid thinking about the past and look to the future instead. But he liked remembering the moment this one was taken.

They'd been on the deck of one of Arthur's great dreadnoughts, standing in front of the ship railing. The water in the background swirled dark under wispy clouds. Straight-backed and face impassive, Arthur stood beside Alfred in full naval wear, eyes dark and severe under his cap. It was a rigidness he'd often donned during the latter century.

The Alfred next to him in the photo was in his own naval uniform too, but he was sporting the biggest and goofiest grin he could have mustered, showing the camera his big pearly whites. Later on after the photo had been developed, Arthur complained to him that he'd ruined the photo.

Alfred remembered that they'd been fighting over something silly before the photograph had been taken, and the stark contrast captured between them that moment always made him laugh whenever he looked back at it.

He put the photo back on the table. The glass on the frame had broken and would need to be replaced, but the picture itself was unharmed.

Okay, maybe he _did_ overreact earlier.

It wasn't the first time he'd had strange nightmares like that, and if Arthur had been unassuming enough to have dropped the frame because of his scream, maybe he really wasn't guilty. He knew how Arthur reacted when a prank of his worked, he'd have been laughing his head off as soon as Alfred woke up yelling.

And what the heck, he'd seen a lot of weird things, but what made him think it was even possible to influence people's dreams like that? That was some idea! He really must have been half asleep.

It had just been a bad dream, it was best to forget about it. He let out a long breath, intent on letting all that aggravation from earlier out of his system.

All that magic fairy stuff Arthur always went on about during Halloween, that stuff wasn't _real!_

xxx

Even from the top of the stairs Alfred could hear yelling from the kitchen. He cringed when he smelled the familiar scent of burnt baked goods in the air.

"Go home, Sealand!" Arthur was saying, "A little brat like you wouldn't-"

"No! I want to participate!" Peter was jumping around him, wearing a monster mask. "I've come up with a whole plan to scare you! I'm going to -"

"You don't tell the person you're planning to scare how you're going to scare them!"

Alfred leaned in the doorway of his kitchen, watching them argue and wondering when they'd both gotten into his house without him noticing. His alarm systems were pretty fortified and Arthur hadn't stayed over the night. It was a reason Alfred was kind of surprised to see him in his room earlier.

For some reason, a thought nagged at the back of his mind again about it having to do with the weird stuff Arthur had done in his basement _years_ ago. He shrugged it off. He was welcome as long as he didn't burn down the house at breakfast...

"England," he called. The man looked to him, and Alfred gestured to the oven, which was smoking. Arthur cursed and hurried over over.

"Haha! Your stupid food burnt up again, jerkland!" Peter taunted.

"Hey, kiddo," Alfred approached and ruffled Peter's hair while Arthur was busy, "What are you doing here?"

"France told me about your scaring game every Halloween! I want to participate this year!"

"He followed me here. I'm calling Finland right away," Arthur said, placing the smoking batch of baked goods on the counter.

"Aw, don't be that way!" Alfred smiled. "He wants to join! It'll be fun! Tino wouldn't mind."

"Maybe, but I'm not holding back for a baby. If he wants to participate, I will not tolerate his crying and whining later."

"I'm not a baby! " Peter protested. "I'm almost fifty! I can take anything scary you throw at me!"

"Ha! That's what Alfred said when we he was young and insisted on playing this game. It seems that one of those times I frightened him so badly that he wet his-"

"HEY!" Alfred cut in, cheeks turning red. It was no time for embarrassing childhood stories this early in the day! He eyed the burnt food on the counter. "Since breakfast is all ruined, how about we go out to eat?"

"Yeah!" Peter adjusted his mask. "Let me finish getting into my costume!"

"I'll take you trick or treating later, little bro," Alfred said. Peter cheered and ran out of the kitchen.

Arthur rubbed his head. "He reminds me of you," he said with a sigh. "He's horribly persistent and never listens to a word I say."

"Yeah, well, what's wrong with letting him have his way once in a while?"

The other man shook his head, deciding it was too much of an effort to list all the things that could actually go wrong. He placed his hands on the countertop behind him and leaned back, turning his attention to Alfred.

"Did you have a nightmare?" he asked.

"Uh..."

"Do you... want to talk about it?"

"Nah, I'm fine. It was just a dream."

Arthur seemed to think about this for a moment, and Alfred felt bad about accusing him earlier when he saw the silent concern on his friend's face.

"Sorry I yelled at you, I just woke up kinda confused. I didn't mean what I said."

"It's alright," Arthur said. "Whatever you dreamt, if it scared you so much that-"

"It didn't scare me!"

"Yes well, whatever you say. Although I do feel the need to remind you that you let out such an unearthly squeal when-"

"I did not _squeal_!" Alfred cried out indignantly.

Arthur waved the matter away, rolling his eyes. "Don't worry, you big baby, I'll make sure to make you squeal in fright louder than that later. I've something special planned this year, that's why I came early."

"Hahahahaha! As if I'd let you stain my winning streak! I'm on a roll! I'll win this year too!"

"Ha!" Arthur crossed his arms smugly. "You'll have to get to a hundred years' count of wins before I take you seriously! Savor these last two years, because that's all you're ever going to win! Ivan and Kiku's interference won't help you this time!"

xxx

Over in the living room, Peter hid behind a couch. He peeked over to make sure no one was coming before he pulled out his phone. "Ladonia?" he called, suppressing an evil giggle. His friend's face popped up on the screen.

"The mission is a go! Set the plan in action!"

"Roger that!" the other micronation answered back enthusiastically. "Phase one commence!"

"I'll scare that jerk so bad that he'll just have to recognize me!"

 **xxx**

* * *

 _ **...**_

 _ **I almost have no idea what's going on either! Everything gets paved in as I go, but Winchesters come in next chapter!**_

 _ **I haven't watched most of Supernatural yet though, so if there's anything finicky or out of character about them... make sure to let me know!**_

 ** _Also, this makes references to Himaruya's webcomic Halloween events. Hetaarchives has got translations if you haven't seen them!_**


	2. Chapter 2

2

It was that time of year again, the one where monsters and children roamed the streets of neighborhoods searching for fun. It was a time of liveliness, of candy, of actual bursts of increased paranormal activity _and_ human pranks and it was... it _was going to be a_ _complete headache_ for hunters trying to work that day. But with some luck, if they solved the problem before the evening they could avoid any of that.

"Why are people taking their kids trick or treating right now, anyway?" Dean Winchester took a bite out of a large sandwich, watching a little girl in a blue fairy costume pass by their parked car with a parent. "Nobody gives out the best candy early morning. See, you remember when-"

"Dean, over there." From the passenger's seat, Sam drew his brother's attention out the window to his right. "He just walked into that diner." Dean only managed to see the diner door swing shut.

They were parked on the street in front of a busy plaza, hot on the trail of...something. There had been a murder sometime in the last week, and when they'd spied the man in the park earlier, Sam thought it could be a suspect. They weren't sure what it could be, but it wasn't human. Although, with so many people around they'd only been tracking it, waiting for it to make a move. Even if it wasn't responsible, there weren't many demons around these parts anyway. One wandering around freely on Halloween was probably up to no good.

"You sure it wasn't jut a regular guy with some funny mask on, Sammy?"

"I'm positive, Dean. He _felt_ different."

"Alright," Dean grunted, opening his door to get out and tapping the gun in his jacket. "Only one way to find out."

xxx

The waitress turned to the child next to Alfred at the table and gave him a sweet smile. "And what'll _you_ have?"

"Pancakes, please! A big order of pancakes!" Peter told the waitress enthusiastically. "And..." He looked down at the diner menu, opening the paper folds this way and that. Eventually he gave up searching, and smiled at the waitress, who was just charmed by the child's cute accent. "And a chocolate sundae, please!" he finished cheerfully.

"Absolutely not. It's too chilly outside for ice cream, you'll get sick," Arthur said. "He'll have chocolate milk, no ice. Please make sure it's not too cold," he told the waitress.

"Hey!" Peter jumped a little on the soft cushioned seat. "No fair! Jerk!"

The waitress scribbled into her little notepad with a smile and finished taking down their orders. "Anything else?" she asked.

"That's it, thanks," Alfred answered.

"Okay! Sit tight, I'll be right back with your food!"

Once she was gone, Peter sunk into his seat with a pout directed at Arthur sitting opposite him, but the older man ignored it.

"With all that food you ordered, I wouldn't be surprised if we're left here to wait for a while," Arthur said. "They're probably going to have to cook up a storm to feed you."

"Don't exaggerate." Alfred frowned, sensing some sort of disguised jab at his eating habits again. It was a sensitive topic. "It wasn't that much!"

"No, just two large plates of steak, topped with eggs, hashbrowns, a batch of pancakes, that cheesecake. And it's only breakfast! What are you planning to do with all that! Save some for lunch!"

"And what about you!" Alfred countered. "Insisting if they had some obscure tea or other. We don't all drink that yucky leaf water over here! When are ya gonna get that?"

Peter began bouncing on the seat again, occupying himself with his mask as they began to bicker. The waitress brought them drinks soon, and Alfred took the chance to excuse himself to the men's room.

"Yes! Go make room! Haha!" Arthur called after him with a grin.

"Shut up!" If they weren't surrounded by families in the other booths, Alfred surely would have accompanied that with an insult.

The diner door swung open, the little bells announcing a new customer's entrance. Alfred briefly offered the man that came in an apology when he almost bumped into him while looking back at Arthur, and then continued on his way to the restroom.

"Ah!" Arthur smiled, noticing the one who had just come in. "Peter, there's something I left in the car. Would you mind running down for it? I'll get you something else to make up for that sundae later." He had to offer the child something, otherwise he would refuse.

"Really?" Peter looked up from slurping his chocolate milk.

"Yes."

Peter agreed, and Arthur told him what he was looking for. The boy took the car keys Alfred had left on the table to complete the errand.

"Cool costume, mister!" he told the man who had come in, passing him quickly. The man waved after the boy but said nothing, and then continued making his way through the diner to Arthur's table by the window.

Arthur watched the man slide into the seat in front of him and settled his chin on the knuckles of his hands, elbows propped on the table. "So tell me, how are preparations for the evening coming along?"

xxx

A little blonde kid ran out the diner as soon as Dean opened the door. The brothers entered, looking around for Sam's suspect. They found him at a table beside the windows, his back turned to them. He was sitting in front of another man and...conversing? Even though they couldn't see his face, Sam recognized the cowboy costume, complete with the conspicuous wide-brimmed hat, and the tan leather attire. He knew that there would be a red bandanna rendering the front of the suspect's face hidden.

The man he was talking to wasn't dressed in any costume, just a beige autumn coat. He was leaning forward on the table, a shock of somewhat messy and pale blond hair visible from where they stood.

The brothers moved closer to the empty table adjacent to their's and sat, listening. They took a seat on opposite sides of the table. Dean sat on the side where he could see the back of their target's head. He could see the blond clear enough to make out the green of his eyes.

"It's quite an overused choice for a costume, isn't it? The cowboy attire," the blonde man was chuckling lightly. He had a foreign accent. Probably some English variant.

"Blend in... you said." The suspect's voice was low and quiet, throaty... Slow too, as if he were trying to say the words carefully. Immediately to the brothers' trained ears, he didn't sound human.

"Yes, I did. Don't worry about it, you've done wonderfully. Now, you and the others need only wait till nightfall. I'll lead him to our trap then."

Sam and Dean exchanged a wary glance, but the waitress interrupted their eavesdropping when she came to their table with menus.

"I'll give you boys some time to look through and pick what you want."

Dean looked up at her, immediately liking what he saw. He glanced at the menu, then back at her, giving her a smile before she could leave. "This is our first time here. I'm looking for early breakfast sweet. What do you recommend, darling?"

Sam nudged his brother lightly under the table with his feet. Not the time!

"Oh," the waitress returned the smile. While she talked about some of the pies on special they had, Sam focused on the conversation behind him.

"But tell everyone to go easy on the child, he's an unexpected addition," the foreigner was saying. "I don't want him to be having trouble with nightmares later."

"Anything... more... you need?" It was the throaty voice again.

"No, everything seems to be in order. Thank you for the update. Leave now, before Alfred gets back. We wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, now would we?"

"...No..."

Their suspect with the bandanna covering his face quickly got up and left, passing by the waitress and the brother's table. They noted his slightly hunched, uneven gait as he continued out the door.

The waitress turned to Sam for his order, and he smiled apologetically at her. "I think it'll just be my brother ordering. I've got to pick something up from the store." He got up, nodding at Dean, sharing information in the same glance. They needed someone to keep following the other guy, and someone to stay and watch the blonde.

Sam and the waiter left, leaving Dean to size up this new threat in the seat across him.

He looked normal enough, sitting there and sipping from a cup peacefully. Perhaps his most striking feature were his eyebrows, with their prominent thickness. Dean watched him as inconspicuously as he could, darting him glances here and there.

To his surprise, the little kid that had exited the diner when they'd entered earlier joined the man, jumping onto the opposite seat.

"I couldn't find it!" said the child, in the same accent.

"That's alright, Peter," the man nodded. "It's not urgent."

The kid named Peter settled down into his seat. "Can I still get that sundae?" he said after a moment. "I really wanted a sundae! I'll use that dumb scarf. Please?"

The man gave him a little smile. "Only because you asked nicely. It's about time you start showing off your manners."

Dean had only been able to give the boy's face a little glimpse when he passed by, but he knew there was a large resemblance between the two. If he were to guess the man's age, he might say early twenties. Probably a bit old for a college student, but Dean supposed he could be the kid's dad. Or at least a family member.

And then their eyes met. For a split second, Dean tensed as he felt himself be scrutinized. The two shades of green locked, and there was something calculating about the other's that solidified Dean's assumption that he was undoubtedly dealing with something shady, and probably not an ordinary human.

"Hello there," the man called pleasantly. "Caught you staring, is there something on my face?"

The boy turned around to look at him too, nose and mouth hidden by the seat and blue eyes childishly wide.

Dean thought fast, and his response came nonchalant and natural. "I was looking at the tv over there. Must have looked like my eyes were wandering a bit, sorry."

The Englishman turned in his seat, noticing the muted television at the end of the corridor. The reporter on the screen was reporting the results of some sports match from the day earlier.

"Ah, so you're a fan of... American Football?"

Dean could hear the distaste in his tone. Before he could think about what to say, someone interrupted him.

"You rooting for the local university team?" A tall blonde with glasses stood next to his table, and he looked eager to start what looked like an indecipherable talk of football, scores and teams.

Dean tried to keep up with the topic, but the teen's mouth was suddenly running nonstop. In those moments, the waitress came back, balancing some plates on her arms and saving him from the sports discussion. "Here you go, boys. Fresh and hot!"

"Alfred, leave the poor fellow alone and come eat your food."

"Don't tell me what to do, _mom,_ " The young man with the glasses said, making a disgruntled little noise. "Hey, we'll talk later!" He offered Dean a not-so-soft friendly punch on the shoulder and a big grin before settling into the booth with the foreign duo. The boy called Peter slid closer to the window to make room for him to sit on his side.

The kid with the glasses was a local, plain to hear in how he spoke and how he held himself. Dean didn't know what to make of the exchange yet, but he didn't mind keeping watch on the three of them further if he could order another slice of pie and chat up the pretty waitress.

xxx

Sam shoved his hands in his pockets. It was a small attempt to keep them warm as he followed the cowboy figure through the busy street, weaving through parents and children in costumes trick or treating at the different businesses. He was up ahead, walking rather leisurely and oblivious to Sam's presence.

Sam might have lost him a few times, but the other had an uneven gait. A sort of slight limp to his walk. It was quickly recognizable. He watched him take a turn into the alley between streets and sped up his pace.

A quick look into the alley from behind the corner. It was a cloudy morning, and it wasn't helping the grimy alley in looking too bright. Sam gripped the gun in his pocket and went in, making sure the figure up ahead kept in his field of vision.

The creature crouched in the middle of the street, doing something on the ground with his back to him. Sam approached warily, mildly surprised it hadn't detected him yet.

"Hey."

At Sam's voice, it jumped to its feet and turned to him. Sam pulled the gun on him, and the other seemed to freeze in place. In the dimmer light between the tall buildings, the younger Winchester could make out the creature's skin. It looked a different color than in the light.

"Alright, so here's how this goes. You answer some questions truthfully, I evaluate if you're a threat to humans and then I decide whether or not to put some salt rounds into you. But if you try anything, I'll just skip to the shooting. Understand?"

It cocked its head at him, the amber eyes studying him curiously.

"First off, what are you?"

"One.. of the... first," it rasped slowly. "Not demon... not ghost... Nothing of concern worth hunt."

That didn't clarify much, but Sam continued. "Your intentions here?"

"An old servant..." It was waving a hand at him and turning around, like it was dismissing him. "Not worth hunt," it repeated.

"Stay where you are," Sam said.

It shook its head, the bandanna covering its face swaying a bit. "Errands to run. No time for... talk." It pointed a finger at him and Sam's finger on the trigger tensed, but the creature continued quickly. "But hunters... seeking nuisance demons... Visit art store."

And Sam realized it was pointing behind him. A quick glance over his shoulder and he spied the business across the street from the alley. _Rustle Art Supplies_ was the neon logo above store windows adorned with Halloween decorations.

"How did you-" Sam looked back to find the creature in the cowboy costume gone. He lowered his gun and let out a sigh. He looked at the ground where it had crouched earlier, noticing the small sigil fading on the dirty concrete.

At least they had new leads.

 **xxx**

* * *

 _ **Thanks to everyone who has favorited and followed! I'm glad people are interested, but don't forget to leave some reviews with your thoughts! ;-; TIs the season to be jolly, gift me a review? Pretty please? Like I said, I'm not too sure that I'm getting the Winchesters right. xD**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Happy 2016 New Years!**_

* * *

 **3**

True to his word, the teen with the glasses seized Dean outside on the parking lot, intent on starting some conversation. The Winchester learned his name was Alfred, although he'd already heard the others call him that. The other two were English, some sort of extended family relations from across the pond. The blonde seemed unassuming enough, so Dean welcomed the chance to squeeze more details out of him. There was the chance he and the kid might be in danger too, if what he'd overhead hadn't been enough warning signal.

"So you guys have anything planned for the day? Looks like it'll rain, but there's still some fun you can have." If he got the itinerary, he and Sam could keep an eye on them better.

"I dunno. My friends are just visiting for Halloween, so maybe we'll head up to some local tourist spots. Take Peter trick-or-treating later and then-" Something abruptly caught the teen's attention. "W-whoa, look at that! That black Impala out there? Is that _yours_?"

Dean looked at him suspiciously, but Alfred didn't give him time to answer as he took off in the car's direction. "A '67 Chevrolet Impala! Haven't seen one in ages! Awww, that is one _sweet_ ride!"

"Yep, that's my baby. You like cars?"

"Like 'em? I love 'em. I'm a collector. See that DeLorean over there? Decided to take it out for a spin today."

Dean's mouth just about dropped when he turned to look. He looked just in time to see the passenger's door close vertically from the car top as Alfred's friend settled into the seat. Peter was already in the back, bouncy as ever.

"A replica of the Back to the Future DeLorean? Seriously?"

"It's a real time machine, too!" Alfred winked.

"How old are you, kid? Barely old enough to have a licence but you already own fancy cars? You don't fool me, your parents must be rich."

The boy grinned. "Nah, I'm really the owner. Anyway, I gotta leave now. Arthur will start nagging me."

He offered his hand and shook the hunter's firmly. For a moment, it felt like Dean had known this guy his whole life. He'd been completely at ease talking to him. Maybe it was the friendliness he seemed to just _ooze._

"So glad to meet you, _Dean._ " Alfred gave him a final near-sparkling grin, and then he departed.

And then Dean realized.

He'd never given Alfred his name.

xxx

Dean had checked the plates on the DeLorean and although he found it hard to believe, it was true. They checked out to one Alfred Jones. He'd done a quick search for social media accounts on the internet, but hadn't found any that seemed to fit yet. A kid like that was bound to have one though.

When Sam came back to their rented room, they also had more to investigate. Dean followed his brother as he recounted the events.

"This is it," Sam said, rounding the corner into the alley. Walking further in, he crouched beside a spot on the ground.

Dean traced his thumb over the symbol, barely visible. "Looks like a warding spell."

"That's what I thought," Sam agreed. "But against what?"

"One monster places a warding spell in a random alley to protect against... other monsters? What's it got to be afraid of?"

"Well, it's not completely random. The art store I told you about is right in front over there. I don't know if it has anything to do with this."

"So your cowboy hinted there was a demon there... and isn't the murder site only a block away?" Dean asked. His brother nodded carefully. The murder that had happened a week before had strong signs of demon activity. The Winchesters had only arrived yesterday to start their investigation, but they hadn't expected the culprit to settle so close to its crime scene.

The store front looked innocent enough. The Halloween decorations were brightly lit and enticing. Two carved Jack-o-lanterns stood at the entance. As they watched, two children and a mother made their way in. Each child had a pumpkin-shaped bucket for trick or treating.

The brothers exchanged a glance.

"Now's a good time as any to find out if that's our demon. Right, Sammy?"

xxx

"Hunters in town, you say?" Arthur said, fingering the price tag on the sweater. Besides him was the creature dressed in the cowboy costume, hidden by the clothes rack from the other customers in the department store. A few aisles away were the toys, and Alfred and Peter could be heard talking excitedly about one they'd found.

"While it does pose a problem to our plans tonight, we might as well leave them to their own devices. With luck, they'll busy themselves with that demon you sensed and be on their way, none the wiser about the activity in the woods." He released the garment, unsatisfied with its quality and price. He turned to the figure. "You should have told me about that demon earlier, I would have taken care of it myself. But if there are hunters here today- and the Winchesters, no less - we'll let them handle it. Their efficiency should not disappoint."

"Hey, Arthur!" Alfred was calling. "Come look at this thing! It's hilarious!" Arthur winced at the fact that the other had felt it necessary to project his voice throughout the whole store.

With no choice but to accede to the demand lest Alfred make a bigger racket, he gave the cowboy some last instructions. "It was no coincidence. That man in the diner must have been on your trail. Take care and return to the woods."

xxx

When they entered _Rustle Art Supplies,_ the first thing the Winchesters noticed was the smell. It was disgustingly sweet. Like a cheap fragrance candle. Pumpkin and cinnamon spices. They look around to find the mother and children over by the counter. The woman at the register was handing out candy to the children's cry of _Trick or Treat!_

Dean moved to the back of the store, making a show of looking through the wares. It was a small business, only two aisles. At the far end were some easels of various sizes, labeled with price stickers. No one else, although he did notice a door to a backroom that must be connected to the rest of the building.

Sam covered the front, keeping an eye on the people and fingering some trinkets on a stand by the door. Upon exchanging some words with the woman, the mother had moved to one of the short aisles to look for something. The children stayed at the counter, examining their new candy. Sam realized the woman at the counter had given them free cookies.

"Is there anything you're searching for in particular, boys?" The woman called out, tugging at her long wavy hair. "I got a sale for today only. Paints with the orange stickers are half price off."

Dean came back from around the back. He shook his head slightly at Sam. There was no one else in the store.

"We're not looking for paint," Sam said.

"Thought so. You don't look like the artsy type," she drawled.

"Look lady, what can you tell us about-"

"Why don't you have a cookie?" she interrupted, holding up a platter. "Freshly baked, made them myself."

"What's in them?" Dean asked.

"They're pumpkin."

Dean stared her down. "What's _in_ them?" he repeated.

The woman frowned. "That's not what you're supposed to ask."

It was a few more moments before anyone more spoke, but the store clerk met Dean's eyes evenly. One of the children, the younger boy of the two in a bear costume, began crying then. A half eaten cookie in his tiny hand. The mother quickly returned, shushing the toddler and wiping the crumbs of his face.

"I'm sorry," she told them. "I'm not sure why he's gotten like this."

Sam snatched a cookie from the plate and crumbled it in his fist, but he found nothing strange in it.

"Kid shouldn't take unwrapped sweets from strangers," Dean said anyway.

She leaned over, getting closer to Dean. A smile spread on her features and she bared teeth. "Trick? Or _treat?"_

Sam waited no longer, he brought out a small bottle and splashed its contents on the woman's face while she was leering at his brother. A piercing scream filled the air, and the brothers backed away as she scrambled over the counter to lunge at them.

 _"Hunters..."_ she hissed, scratching at her skin. The holy water was like acid to demons, although it hadn't marred her host's face.

Enraged, the demon toppled Dean, but he kicked her off and drew his gun. Dean fired at her, but she avoided the salt rounds with inhuman speed. Soon, the mother and her children were yelling too. They scrambled towards the door, only for the demon to lift a hand and lock it. She moved towards the mother, grabbing her by the neck and turning her around to use as a shield.

"Sara Meyer," Dean stated. "Does the name ring any familiar bells to you?"

"Was it the poor sweetheart at the bakery?" She laughed maliciously.

That was it. They'd found the culprit.

Sam's shot grazed her shoulder and shattered the window. She recoiled, giving the mother ample time to scramble away. After she lifted her hand towards them, a groaning sound alerted the brothers to the store shelf behind them that was threatening to topple over them.

"Dean, watch out!"

Vials, painting supplies and other trinkets came crashing to the floor. Some more glass shattered but both Winchesters had gotten out of the way. Although the falling shelf had been ineffectual in deterring them, it gave the demon a chance to lunge at the distracted duo again.

Dean's quick shot caught her in the leg before she could reach Sam, and the demon cried out and fell to the floor, her mobility crippled. Shock was written all over her features.

"You'll pay for this," she snarled. Black smoke poured out of the woman's mouth and fled through the broken store windows.

"Damn," Dean cursed. She'd gotten away before they could properly send her back to Hell.

Sam attended to the other humans, making sure they were unharmed before he recited a spell and put them to sleep. The woman who had been the demon's host was alive, and she looked like she was going to be alright.

"Where's the other kid?"

They found him quivering beside a stack of art books. Sam found the mother's phone and got him to dial 911 so an ambulance could come. With some luck they could make it look like some ordinary crime or accident. Then the child was placed under sleep too.

"Any security cameras we need to worry about?" Dean asked.

"None. But I found this under the counter."

It was a hexbag, a leather pouch filled with questionable materials. They pondered it.

"A hexbag for obscuring itself. That's not a thing any ordinary demon knows how to do. What could it have been hiding from?"

"You think it has anything to do with that warding sigil in the alley?"

Dean shrugged. "None of this is making sense. Looks like we have our work cut out for us tonight."

xxx

The cloudiness of the afternoon was beginning to dissipate for the sunset, and it was a bright display of colors shining on the windows of buildings and cars. Peter was wrapping up his trick or treating for the time being, and soon the three of them were off back to Alfred's place at the edge of town, readying for the fun of the night.

"We agreed we'd hold our contest in the woods this year, don't forget that." Arthur smiled as they exited Alfred's large garage. "I'm off, then."

Alfred shut the door. "Wait, we're splitting up to start already?"

"Peter is staying with you, isn't he?"

"No, I'm my own player!" the boy yelled. "I don't need any help! I have my own plan!" He grabbed his sack of candy and headed off down the path that led outside the property.

Arthur didn't look very comfortable with that. "Don't get lost, Sealand! Behave yourself. I mean it!" he called out to him.

"You bet I won't! Watch out! I'll scare you both!"

They watched him disappear around a gate, and Arthur let out a sigh.

"Ah, don't worry about him, he'll be fine," Alfred said. "He punches like steel, remember? Heck, he's made out of it."

"But his bodily form is _not,_ in fact, physically steel. That's not how it works." Arthur rolled his eyes and set out on the path himself, with a last wave back. "Our annual game starts as soon as we all set foot in the designated area. Hurry up. Don't keep me waiting."

"Yeah, yeah. See you later." As soon as Arthur faded from view at the gate, Alfred turned around and pulled out his phone.

"Kiku, bro, are you guys here yet?" A pause as he listened. "Ok, _great!_ I'll be there soon. Tell the big guy that it's starting at the forest preserve south of town."

xxx

* * *

 _ **Hee hee. The next chapter will be fun to write.**_

 ** _Secret Paradox 25, to answer your questions: The Winchesters will eventually find out, of course. But not yet! And I don't intend to have Britannia Angel in this because that's not a thing that Arthur seems to do regularly at all. xD I honestly find all the crossover fics with that as a premise kinda weird. But I mean, if there's some comical spot where it looks appropriate, I'll stick it in for the laughs._**

 _ **Also, this is random but I love how Himaruya likes to reveal little tidbits on characters in occasional blog posts. Like about things they like, or do, and the thing about America being an avid car collector. I want to see the Hetalia fandom use more of what's beyond the silliness of the anime. A lot of the main characters are really fleshed out, and I hate seeing fics portray them with simple single-minded dimensionality. They're centuries old, dammit. It's enough time to acquire a personality. xD**_


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